September 27th, 2026 | Oregon Hunters Association | OHA News |

The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) is supporting an effort to remove cougars in the Trout Creek Mountains to improve the success of future bighorn sheep translocations. The effort is intended to help establish and strengthen the existing herd as wildlife managers work to address its declining population and genetic diversity.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) plans to translocate bighorn sheep in the near future to supplement the existing herd and enhance its genetic diversity. Successfully establishing these animals in their new surroundings will be an important part of that effort.

Cougar predation has negatively affected bighorn sheep translocation efforts in Oregon, highlighting the challenges associated with introducing animals to a new landscape. Previous translocations have demonstrated how predation can affect the number of sheep that remain in an area following their release.

In the early 2000s, three of the 17 bighorn sheep released during a translocation along the Minam River were killed by cougars within one week. In a separate translocation in the Steens Mountains, five of the 10 collared ewes were killed by cougars.

In both instances, the remaining sheep scattered and left the area, further complicating the efforts to establish the animals in their intended locations.

“The science is clear,” said OHA Conservation Director Tyler Dungannon. “If you want to successfully translocate bighorn sheep, in most cases, you need to first reduce predator densities and remove individuals that will prey upon the naïve ungulates that are new to the landscape.”

OHA believes this effort will improve the likelihood of success for future bighorn sheep translocations in the Trout Creek Mountains. By addressing predation concerns ahead of the planned releases, the effort aims to support the existing herd and help improve its population size and genetic diversity over time.

Although the primary objective is to benefit bighorn sheep, the effort may also have benefits for other wildlife in the region. The Trout Creek mule deer herd occupies a range currently listed as “very high management concern” in the Oregon Mule Deer Management Plan. While not the primary focus of the cougar removal effort, potential benefits to this mule deer herd provide an additional conservation consideration.